[Chapter 1036: So That's It]
Hollywood placed a greater emphasis on the fundamental development of scripts than any other film industry in the world. Whether it was one of the big seven studios or a small independent film company, they allocated 5% to 10% of their production budgets each year to purchasing, writing, and adapting scripts.
However, this didn't mean that the script development costs for every movie stayed above 5% of the production budget. In reality, fewer than one in thousand of the screenplays hoarded by Hollywood studios ever made it to the big screen. This meant that the spending on scripts for a single Hollywood film would typically not exceed 1% of the total production budget.
In essence, scripts were just like seeds; most people wouldn't pay the price of a harvest for just a seed.
Of course, nothing was absolute.
When they heard that Sony Pictures had made a $7 million offer, the writers of Pirates of the Caribbean, Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, along with their agent, Matt Gilson, found it hard to believe. Matt made sure it wasn't a joke by confirming with Bill Mechanic, the CEO of Columbia Pictures, who called personally. Once he hung up, he looked across the table at Ted and Terry.
It was already Sunday noon.
The three were gathered at a restaurant in West Hollywood, discussing how to initiate the auction bids for Pirates of the Caribbean. After Warner Bros. offered $4 million along with some conditions, the trio ultimately couldn't resist the allure of the money. After all, compared to the offers from other studios, Eric's $1 million proposal seemed downright paltry.
As Jerry Bruckheimer had told Eric, writers and actors operated on different levels. An unknown actor appearing in a blockbuster movie, even if it didn't succeed, could instantly become famous and might find studios lining up to offer roles in future films. But once a writer became known for a screenplay, their future income depended on the scripts they wrote, not just on their name recognition like an actor's could.
If they missed this golden opportunity, who could guarantee that their next screenplay would be a hit? And who could really promise that the script they had now would definitely succeed?
As such, the trio had made up their minds even before Bill Mechanic's call came.
To leave themselves some room for negotiation, they planned to use a sealed bid approach, inviting various studios to submit their offers privately, so they could choose a partner based on the best terms.
As long as Firefly Group placed a competitive offer, they would still consider selling the script to them. Even if they weren't involved in the film's further development, as long as the screenplay thrived in Eric Williams' hands, no one could deny their contributions as writers. They could still make their mark as leading screenwriters in Hollywood.
However, Bill Mechanic's call completely disrupted their discussed plans.
After exchanging glances, even though they had just had lunch, Terry Rossio swallowed hard and said, "Matt, maybe I--uh... are you sure it's $7 million?"
Matt nodded, saying, "Yes, Bill Mechanic said that if we agree, we can sign this afternoon."
"$7 million, huh?"
Even the most rational of the three, Ted Elliott, couldn't help but exclaim this.
Eric Williams' offer was $1 million. Even if Firefly Group could turn Pirates of the Caribbean into a very successful trilogy, they would probably earn no more than $300,000 for each of the remaining scripts. In essence, Sony was paying the total script price for the trilogy in an ideal scenario all at once.
Seeing the spark of interest in his clients' faces, Matt Gilson had already begun to calculate how to spend this upcoming commission, but he remained calm on the surface, asking, "So, what do we do now?"
Looking at his friends, Terry Rossio said, "Ted, we have no reason to refuse. Let's sell it?"
Ted Elliott's lips moved as he glanced at Matt Gilson for reassurance.
"Sony's asking this sky-high price because they want to avoid all competition for the script; they're not going to raise their offer again, and it's unlikely other studios will continue bidding." Matt understood their intentions, shook his head hesitantly, and although he didn't hold out much hope, he suggested, "Bill Mechanic didn't ask us to keep it confidential. How about I leak this information and see how other studios react? If no one else ups their offer, we can agree."
With Terry Rossio watching expectantly, Ted Elliott nodded, "So that's it."
...
Last time he was invited to dinner, Goldie Hawn's husband Kurt Russell asked Eric if he had any interest in going hunting. Kurt Russell was a passionate gun enthusiast who had shown Eric his impressive firearms collection, and naturally, Eric was intrigued.
After a busy Saturday, Eric received a call from Kurt Russell, and early on Sunday morning, he took Fernanda Tavares from the set of Enemy of the State and flew with Kurt Russell and Ron Howard from Los Angeles to Fresno, about 300 kilometers north. Upon arrival, they borrowed three SUVs and a few greyhounds from a local hunting club and headed for the nearby mountainous hunting grounds.
While much of California was evergreen year-round, summer remained the least suitable hunting season, as prey generally hid deep in dense foliage. It was only during the winter drought that wild boars and similar beasts ventured out to search for water, becoming a huge nuisance for local farmland.
But Eric and the others were solely there for entertainment, so they didn't mind at all.
All the firearms they carried were part of Kurt Russell's personal collection. Eric had little interest in old-fashioned double-barreled shotguns and instead chose an M21. Even with the fiery Latina Fernanda trying her hand at a traditional shotgun, Eric's use of a sniper rifle drew teasing from the old-timers, though he was having a blast regardless.
Though it wasn't the best time for hunting, with the help of a few hounds, they managed to catch a decent amount in the morning.
Of course, being his first time, despite holding the sniper rifle and having fired several boxes of ammo, Eric still had zero personal success.
At noon, they set up camp by a small creek, grilling their catch over an improvised fire.
The group consisted of twelve people, including Eric and his four companions, four bodyguards, and two local guides from the hunting club, along with Ron Howard's go-to producer Brian Grazer and another Hollywood star, Dennis Quaid. Dennis was also a close friend of Kurt Russell's and was married to Meg Ryan. However, the couple had been separated since 1992 for reasons unknown and had never finalized their divorce, a topic Robert Altman had playfully addressed in one of his films a few years back.
...
At the creek, the bodyguards and local guides formed one group while Eric's group of six formed another, gathered around a grill.
Initially thinking it would be a boys' weekend outing, the others hadn't brought any family, but Eric brought Fernanda Tavares, and no one seemed to mind.
The tall Latina beauty, clad in denim and hiking boots, shouldered a rifle, exuding a wild beauty. As Eric brought her, she certainly caught everyone's eye, and as Ron Howard jokingly said, he could almost envision a Western film in the making.
"Right now, using a shotgun is the best for hunting, since there aren't many large beasts," Kurt Russell said skillfully flipping a rabbit on the grill, "Like this little guy, if the M21 hit it, it would just be a pile of mush."
After a morning spent traversing the hills, Eric was feeling quite hungry, his previous pickiness about cleanliness fading. As he noticed the game hens roasting nicely, he tore off a piece and chewed, stating, "A man should definitely use a big gun; what's the point of a shotgun?"
"Haha..."
The other men burst into a hearty laugh, while a slightly flushed Fernanda shot Eric a disapproving look and resumed grilling her own food.
While they were eating and chatting, Eric's phone suddenly rang.
He pulled out his phone to check the caller ID and saw it was a call from Jeffrey Katzenberg. ...
Signaling for Fernanda to keep an eye on the grill, Eric stepped aside to answer, "Jeffrey, it's me... I'm out hunting with Kurt Russell and the crew in Fresno; what's up in Los Angeles... What, $7 million?"
Eric lifted his voice, causing Kurt Russell and the others to look over.
Regaining his composure, Eric patiently listened to Katzenberg explain the situation, his tone calming down as he said, "I understand, Jeffrey. Let's hang up; I'll call Bill Mechanic right away."
...
After ending the call, Eric scrolled through his contacts while pacing.
He quickly dialed a number, placing the phone to his ear. Once it connected, he cut to the chase, "Bill, do you know what you're doing?"
At a restaurant in Calabasas, Bill Mechanic was dining with Howard Stringer when he heard Eric's cold tone over the line. He glanced at Howard, realizing that the offer from Sony was bound to cause a backlash from Firefly, but he hadn't expected Eric to personally call to confront him.
Considering that he would likely remain in Hollywood even after leaving Sony, Bill Mechanic didn't want to offend Eric Williams by any means. He hastily pointed out, "Eric, I'm currently dining with Mr. Stringer."
Word of Sony's struggles was well-known in Hollywood, and Bill believed Eric would understand this decision wasn't solely his.
On the other end, Eric hesitated for a moment, commanding, "Hand your phone to Stringer."
Though they were speaking over the phone, Bill Mechanic couldn't help but nod. He passed the phone to Howard Stringer, saying, "Howard, it's Williams."
Years of experience in the business had made Howard Stringer acutely aware of the tone in Bill Mechanic's voice. He instinctively felt that this was perhaps not the best time to speak with Eric Williams.
Nevertheless, with Bill handing the phone over, Howard had no choice but to take it, brightening up his tone, "Hey, Eric, long time no see."
However, Eric had no intention of making small talk with Howard Stringer. He went straight to the point, "Howard, Sony has already inflated Hollywood stars' salaries to $20 million; how much do you intend to raise script prices to now? $10 million? I don't care how you're thinking; you better roll back that foolish decision right now."
Howard Stringer, caught off guard by Eric's swift reprimand, knew that Bill couldn't hear their exchange. Though a bit embarrassed, he retorted, "Eric, how much Sony offers is our business. We're all competing fairly; you have no right to demand we lower our asking price. That's absurd."
"Don't give me that nonsense about fair competition. You're undermining Hollywood's established rules time and again. So, take back your decision, immediately; otherwise, don't blame me." Eric said before hanging up before Howard could respond.
...
Though feeling emotional, Eric's veiled threat sent a shiver down Howard Stringer's spine. As he listened to the dial tone, his initial fear quickly morphed into anger. Forgetting he was in a public restaurant, Howard slammed his phone against the wall, muttering angrily, "Who does he think he is..."
After repeating this a few times, Howard suddenly shot a glare at Bill Mechanic, declaring, "Call those two back right now. We're buying the script. We'll sign today. I want to see what Eric Williams will do; who does he think he is, suddenly declaring himself the king of Hollywood?"
Bill Mechanic pulled out a credit card and motioned to the passing waiter to settle the bill. Bending down, he picked up the Nokia phone that had fallen and, seeing the still-bright screen, slipped it into his pocket. He soothed, "Let's head back to the office, Howard; this isn't the place to be making decisions."
*****
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